article · Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension Economics & Sociology
Access to agricultural extension services among cocoa farmers in Fako Division, Cameroon, is strongly linked to membership in farmer organisations. Analysis of survey data from 396 randomly selected cocoa farmers reveals that 83.5 percent of organised farmers accessed extension services, compared to only 34.8 percent of non-members. After controlling for demographic and farm characteristics, belonging to a farmer organisation increased the likelihood of receiving extension services by more than six times, making it the strongest predictor of service access. Higher levels of education also significantly improved access to extension services, whereas farm size had only a marginal effect. Age and gender showed no statistically significant influence on access. The findings highlight the critical role of collective groups in channeling advisory support, leading to recommendations to strengthen farmer organisations and formally embed them within agricultural extension delivery systems.
Agricultural extension services provide vital knowledge and technical support that can improve crop yields and rural livelihoods. Demonstrating that farmer organisations multiply access to these services by six times provides clear evidence for development agencies, governments, and agricultural planners. It suggests that channeling advisory resources through community organisations and boosting farmer education are practical ways to deliver agricultural support more equitably and effectively.
The findings offer direct evidence for agricultural advisory providers, agribusiness aggregators, and extension programme designers seeking efficient routes to reach smallholder cocoa farmers. Using farmer organisations as structured distribution hubs can lower the delivery costs of training and technical inputs. Because this is applied empirical field research rather than a commercial product, the pathway focuses on operational partnerships with existing rural cooperatives and extension systems.
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The literature on farmer-organization membership and access to agricultural extension services (AES) reports mixed findings, motivating further empirical study. This paper examines whether membership in farmer organizations (FOs) improves access to AES among cocoa farmers in Fako Division, Cameroon. Using structured questionnaires, primary data were collected from 396 randomly selected cocoa farmers. Descriptive statistics were first used to summarise sample characteristics (including FO membership status and gender) and the distribution of AES access. To address the specific objectives, a chi-square test was used to evaluate the bivariate association between FO membership and AES access, and a binary logistic regression was used to assess the effect of FO membership on AES access while controlling for education, farm size, age, and gender. Results show a large disparity in AES access: 83.5% of FO members reported access to extension services compared to 34.8% of non-members (difference ≈ 49 percentage points). The chi-square test confirmed a strong association between FO membership and AES access (χ² = 57.82, p < .001). The logistic regression model was statistically significant, χ²(5) = 116.45, p < .001, with a Nagelkerke R² of 0.42, indicating that the predictors explained about 42% of the variance in AES access. FO membership was the strongest predictor (B = 1.84, SE = 0.28, OR = 6.30, p < .001), meaning members were over six times more likely to access AES than non-members. Years of education also had a positive and significant effect on AES access (B = 0.11, SE = 0.04, OR = 1.12, p = .008), while farm size showed a marginal effect (B = 0.07, SE = 0.03, OR = 1.07, p = .089). Age (B = –0.01, p = .215) and gender (coded 1 = Male; B = 0.15, p = .495) were not significant predictors. The Conclusion was that membership in farmer organizations substantially increases cocoa farmers’ likelihood of accessing agricultural extension services in Fako Division, and education further improves farmers’ ability to obtain those services. Based on these findings, we recommend strengthening of farmer organizations, promoting inclusive membership, and formally integrating FOs into extension delivery systems to improve the equity and effectiveness of service access.
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DOI: 10.9734/ajaees/2025/v43i122857
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